On a recent dive trip we were training on rebreathers - glorious, how I wish I could justify the cost and the time to go down this route .....: - part of the course, with the increased time gained with the rebreather at depth, is a concern over deco time. I've never been concerned with this to date as gas usage not yet a strong point [I mean, I use the stuff too fast at the moment! That being so, I am a wiz at working out how long a dive I have, and hence never a deco worry!].

But - background set - the instructor did have a palm PDA dive planner that was really good, easy to use, and allowed for very accurate estimates/ guidelines for time at depth, surface intervals etc according to gas mix, pO2 [OK we used 1.4 but interesting to see what hapens at partial pressures of 1.5 and 1.6 just in case we exceed or get close to our max oxygen exposure limits] and so on.

Problem and query? - well, I don't have a palm [yet!] and wonder if there are similar programmes [sorry, programs] for my pc - plus advice of course on 'best' palms and other helpful software.

I WAS impressed with the way this software functionned, tied in with the dive tables and dive computer. Very easy to use, very quick, therefore more likely to be used to aid diver safety - as opposed to just jumping in with a positive philosophy, always foolhardy!

dutchman

10-03-2007, 10:58

I use the Reef Dive Log on my Ipaq.
http://www.reef-log.com/

Ross

10-04-2007, 03:40

I use the Reef Dive Log on my Ipaq.
http://www.reef-log.com/

Thanks for the reply. Looks OK, but what does it cost - the software I looked at before was very easy - one screen, alter nitrox mix or pO2 etc --> automatic changes in rest to MOD etc - but I see the bonus in dive log entries - ?what does it 'do' for signature verification - is it an actual sig., password [difficult with so many possible signaturies] ... or accept cert no..

Yeah, I [probably] sound like I know very little about this, which is true - and unwilling to commit to one system then find it obsolete - but I am going up to the next UK dive show [Oct 13-14, NEC] and like to look around with some knowhow, not then be bamboozled by salesmen!